Resident Evil: Kenwood Falls
by LeonFan2k3
Summary: Six months after Harvardville, Leon S. Kennedy is sent to the small, rural town of Kenwood Falls to find and work with the insider that helped bring down WilPharma. He ends up meeting a former member of S.T.A.R.S, just as a new outbreak begins.
1. The Past as Prologue

**Resident Evil: Kenwood Falls**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Resident Evil or any properties related to it, i.e., characters; locations, etc. I do, however own any original places and/or characters, as well as ideas I created for this work of fanfiction.

**Reviews/Suggestions:** I appreciate any and all reviews, good or bad, so long as they are respectful. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Criticism just to be mean-spirited is always ignored.

**Ch. 1: The Past As Prologue**

It was an exceptionally warm April morning in Washington, D.C. A lone figure was standing in front of his apartment window, looking out at the clear, sunny sky, and down at the park where he saw kids enjoying the last days of their Easter break from school.

"If only life could be that simple again." He thought, as he continued to watch the children in the park.

The truth was, however, that it had been unusually quiet the past several months. The biggest event that happened in that span of time was chaperoning the twenty-first birthday party of First Daughter Ashley Graham. After all, it was his duty as the personal agent assigned to protect the First Family. In spite of all this peace and quiet, Leon Scott Kennedy still felt rather uneasy. He'd been trying to convince himself that he just wasn't used to all the down time. The truth was, he hadn't had much of it since he graduated from the Police Academy over seven years ago. He knew that he was just waiting to hear about some new Bio-Terrorism incident taking place in yet another obscure location on the planet, or a new death threat being aimed at President Graham. After all, it seemed as though he'd been up to his neck in either viral messes or kidnapping plots since that proud day in the summer of 1998. As Leon continued enjoying the serene, and rather quaint, scene taking place several stories below, across the street from his apartment, his mind started to wander. He began reflecting on the past seven-plus years of his life.

In late July 1998, Leon Kennedy was nearly at the end of his training at the Raccoon City Police Academy. There were several stories and rumors circulating throughout the place that were connected to a rash of unexplained murders that happened in the Arklay Mountains, located just outside the Raccoon city limits. The stories were about the discovery of half-eaten corpses: the victims of the so-called "cannibal disease." Meanwhile, the rumor mill was running wild with tall-tales of zombies; giant, misshapen killing machines; vicious reptile-like creatures resembling skinned gorillas; ravenous undead dogs; and over-sized spiders and snakes; even sharks (in the mountains?). But perhaps the most shocking thing about these ridiculous rumors, was the fact that they were started by the Raccoon Police Department's elite special operations team known as the Special Tactics and Rescue Service, or S.T.A.R.S for short. This was the team that ultimately inspired Leon to join the police force. He applied to the academy with the hopes of one day joining this elite group of men and women, but now he had become disenchanted with them, thanks to the recent string of events. But then, just as quickly as they had started, the rumors stopped, and the S.T.A.R.S were disbanded. The team had suffered many casualties, and the few remaining members seemed to vanish off the face of the planet. The cause of this was unknown at the time, but Leon would soon find out the truth, and he would find out the hard way.

Two months later, Leon made his way into Raccoon City. He was about to begin his first night on the job with the Raccoon Police Department. He was a twenty-one-year-old rookie, rather idealistic, and maybe more than a little naive, but he was good at his job. He had graduated in the top ten percent of his class at the academy, having excelled in many areas, particularly marksmanship. And he was quite gifted with firearms in the magnum class, if he should say so himself. But the moment he arrived in town, he was thrust into the living, or rather undead, Hell that had once been Raccoon City. He was instantly reminded of a quote from his favorite horror film: "When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth." Well, if that were true, then Hell had obviously just burst at it's seams. The city had become infested with zombies. This was the result of the T-Virus being released throughout the city. The virus was apparently carried to the population by rats who had ingested it in the sewers below Raccoon City. These sewers were used as a secret passage into the Umbrella lab hidden beneath the city streets.

Shortly after his arrival, Leon met up with a young college co-ed named Claire Redfield, who was searching for her older brother: S.T.A.R.S Alpha Team member Chris Redfield. Together, the rookie cop and the college girl managed to survive the horrors of not only the T-Virus outbreak, but also numerous attacks from a mutated monster that had once been rogue Umbrella researcher William Birkin. Birkin had apparently injected himself with a new, more powerful virus known simply as G.

The G-Virus had the ability to regenerate dead tissue at the cellular level by triggering one mutation after another in the deceased body of whoever had been infected. Each mutation was stronger and more grotesque than the one before it, not to mention deadlier. Even more disturbing was the fact that G-mutants had the innate ability to implant G-Virus embryos in the bodies of their victims, in an effort to reproduce. Unfortunately, they need similar DNA in order for this to work. If not, then the hapless victims reject the embryo, and it eventually bursts out of the victim's body, killing them in a very painful way. After this, the rejected G-embryo grows incredibly fast, but is ultimately incomplete and far easier to destroy than it's fully developed parent. In spite of this, the G-embryo can still be rather deadly.

In it's rampage, the G-mutant that was once William Birkin killed his wife, Annette Birkin, who was also an Umbrella scientist. The monster also sought out the Birkins' twelve-year-old daughter, Sherry, and implanted a G-embryo inside her small body. Through the efforts of Leon and Claire, as well as the final act of a repentant Annette Birkin, Sherry was saved, and the three of them managed to escape Raccoon City. Less than twenty-four hours later, Raccoon City would be literally wiped off the face of the map by a missile strike in an attempt to prevent the inevitable spread of the T-Virus to areas outside Raccoon City. To that end, the operation was a success, but at a horrible cost.

Leon also met a young woman named Ada Wong during this time. Perhaps it was the extenuating circumstances he was facing, but he began to have feelings for Ada. He soon discovered, however, that she was a spy working for an unknown organization, and she was sent to Raccoon City to procure a sample of the G-Virus. Shortly after discovering her duplicity, Leon watched Ada die in front of him.

After their escape from the doomed city, Leon and Sherry were separated from Claire. She continued to search for her brother, and he and Sherry were picked up by operatives for the U.S. Government. After spending some time together in the custody of the government, Leon was separated from Sherry. He was offered a chance to become a special operative under the pretense of being able to help end bio-terrorism for good. He accepted. He was informed that Sherry was taken to live with a relative in an undisclosed location. He assumed this was done as a security measure to ensure Sherry's safety.

A few months later, Leon was given an assignment that led to his introduction to Claire's brother Chris, as well as S.T.A.R.S alumni Jill Valentine and Barry Burton. Somehow, Claire had discovered this, and after she was taken captive at an Umbrella facility in Paris, she was taken to an island prison where another outbreak enabled her escape. She contacted Leon, and asked him to send her brother to come help her. That was the last he heard from Claire, and he had only recently reunited with her in Harvardville.

Before that, however, Leon had found himself chosen by President Graham (who was just starting his term), to be the personal bodyguard for the First Family. His first day on the job, he was informed that the President's soon-to-be twenty-year-old daughter Ashley, was kidnapped by a cult in Spain known as Los Illuminados.

Los Illuminados was run by Osmund Saddler, who ordered the kidnapping of Ashley. He intended to infect Ashley with a new form of bio-weapon called Las Plagas. Las Plagas made the T-Virus look like a common cold. The infected, collectively known as los ganados, were far harder to destroy than the zombies of Raccoon City. Leon soon discovered that Ashley was kidnapped by Jack Krauser, a former partner of Leon's who was believed to have died two years earlier. Krauser wasn't the only person to return from the dead. Leon was also reunited with Ada Wong, who had somehow survived Raccoon City six years earlier. She was now working for Albert Wesker, and was assigned to collect a sample of Las Plagas. Even though Ada succeeded in her mission, she helped Leon and Ashley escape the island.

Six months ago, Leon briefly reunited with Claire Redfield in order to help stop an outbreak of the T-Virus in the Harvardville airport. He discovered that Claire was working for TerraSave, an independent human rights organization created to help in the search and rescue of chemical and bio-terrorism attack victims. TerraSave came into being shortly after the destruction of Raccoon City, and the subsequent fall of Umbrella Corporation. TerraSave was investigating the new pharmaceutical company WilPharma, who they suspected were responsible for the T-Virus outbreak in Harvardville International. It turns out that WilPharma was indeed responsible, as they were conducting illegal human experiments. Creating the T-Vaccine was the one good thing to come out of the relatively new company.

As Leon's thoughts returned to the present, his phone rang.

"Leon?"

"Yes Hunnigan?"

"President Graham want's to see you immediately."

"So much for peace and quiet," was his last thought as he as he left his apartment.


	2. Briefing

**Ch. 2: Briefing**

Even though it was less than a five minute drive from his apartment to the White House, Leon felt as if time had come to sudden halt. President Graham wanted him to report immediately, which meant it was urgent. And that usually meant that he was being shipped off somewhere. It always amazed Leon how many times he gets sent off on missions when he was supposed to be the personal agent to the First Family.

He soon arrived at his destination, where he parked his jeep, and headed toward the main entrance of the White House. As he approached the front steps, he was greeted by a familiar, and rather cheerful, voice.

"Leon! It's good to see you."

"Hi Ashley. Your father sent for me."

"I know. I was sent to escort you to the Oval Office..." Ashley's cheerful demeanor suddenly changed to a more somber one, "...I hate it when he sends you away."

"So, it is a mission then?"

"Yeah. But I don't see why he couldn't send another qualified Agent. I feel a whole lot safer when you're here, you know?"

That much was true. Ashley had grown somewhat attached to Leon ever since their run-in with Los Illuminados. For a few months after their safe return, Ashley had insisted that Leon be stationed outside her room, for fear that someone might try to take her again. President Graham agreed to it, but Leon sensed that this was only because the President was happy to have his little girl back home, safe. There were many uneasy nights during that period. More than once, Ashley would come out of her room in tears, having just had a nightmare about her ordeal in Spain. However, despite her offer of "Overtime" during their escape, there were no romantic sparks between the two. If anything, Leon had become something of a surrogate older brother to the First Daughter. He would always try to be there to protect her, and she would always have another person to confide in, when necessary.

Leon's train of thought was interrupted by Ashley.

"Well, here we are, the Oval Office. See you later Leon."

"Okay Ash."

Although he'd visited the famed Oval Office many times before, it always seemed surreal to him. The walls were adorned with portraits of past U.S. Presidents. In the center of the room was a beautiful coffee table of cherry wood, brought in by Graham. Surrounding the table were white chairs and sofas for visitor's to sit comfortably when in conference with President Graham.

Leon was greeted by his radio contact, Ingrid Hunnigan who, from all appearances, was called in the middle of an evening out. Instead of her usual black, pin-striped business suit, she was in a great looking navy blue dress cut short and low, and she had her shoulder-length dark hair down with the left side behind her ear, held there by a decorative red orchid.

"Wow Hunnigan, if you dressed like this more often, I might pay more attention to you during missions," Leon said, with a mischievous, and flirtatious demeanor.

Hunnigan felt a little flush in her cheeks as she retorted, "Can it Kennedy, the President is waiting for you."

"That will be enough of that, for now, Miss Moneypenny and Mr. Bond," The President said, obviously teasing.

President Graham was rather youthful for a man of fourty-eight years. His close-cropped dirty-blonde hair was peppered with flecks of grey. His eyes were a perfect match for his daughter Ashley, who otherwise favored her mother. He was a strapping man, who at six-feet-two inches tall seemed to tower over the five-feet ten inch tall Leon. Graham was quite athletic, and was a former combat pilot who flew in Operation: Desert Storm seventeen years before. Outside of business, he was generous, and loved a good laugh, usually at someone else's expense, so his reference to the James Bond films was not out of character. However, it was now time for business, his cheerful demeanor changed to a more serious one.

"Good morning Agent Kennedy."

"Good morning Mr. President."

"You must be wondering why I've called you in on your day off, correct?"

"It did cross my mind, Sir."

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, Leon. I am afraid I must send you on a mission that may require your particular area of expertise."

"Another outbreak, Sir?"

"No, but there could be some potential for one."

"Where am I headed?"

"Have you ever heard of Kenwood Falls?"

"No, Sir, I can't say that I have."

"But you are familiar with Umbrella, yes?"

Leon thought he felt his jaw drop, "Umbrella!"

"Yes. Apparently, Ozwell Spencer began construction on another Umbrella facility just before the company's fall from grace, and subsequent fall into bankruptcy. The facility is located approximately five miles outside the small coastal town of Kenwood Falls, near the Florida peninsula. It has been discovered that WilPharma completed the construction and began operations shortly before their own demise. Judging by an unusual amount of erratic power surges in the area, it is believed that some former researchers have gone rogue, and are using the abandoned lab to continue research on bio-weapons that may or may not be products of the T-virus; the G-virus; and possibly the T-Veronica virus, as well as Las Plagas. As per the usual M.O., it is believed that they will sell these on the black market, and like WilPharma, stage an outbreak in order to test possible vaccines. Doing this will, of course, increase their profits"

"Sir, is it known whether or not General Miguel Grande, or maybe even Albert Wesker could be involved in this somehow."

"We can't be sure Kennedy, but given Grande's involvement in the Harvardville incident, and Wesker's involvement in others, we wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of connection."

"So when do I leave?"

"You will rendezvous with Hunnigan at the airport at 1800 hours. Once there, you will be taken aboard a private jet, and flown down to a private airstrip located near your destination. Hunnigan will remain there to enable better communication back and forth. You are to check into the Sunrise Motel in Kenwood Falls shortly after your arrival. A reservation has already been made in the assumed name of Larry Keach. Once you get into your suite, you will find a safe. Hunnigan will transmit the combination via your satellite phone. Inside the safe will be further instructions, as well as a firearm and ammunition. You will also find a decoder with the password you'll need to identify your contact."

"My contact?" Leon was surprised by this. Usually he was sent alone.

"Yes. This contact will also serve as your partner. They will remain safely anonymous until you meet at your motel at 0600 tomorrow. Now go prepare, and Godspeed."

**A/N:** I hope you guys don't mind the update to my second chapter. As you can see, I decided to add some descriptions to it ( A wise suggestion from my first reviewer). For those who are wondering, Leon is dressed in his mission attire from RE4, but with the jacket from Degeneration. Ashley is in her white outfit, which is unlockable in RE4.


	3. The Flight

**Ch. 3: The Flight**

It was already four o' clock as Leon hung up his phone. It had become something of a ritual for

him to call Ashley before a mission, just to make sure she was okay, and to be sure that she remembered what to do in case someone came after her or the First Family while he was away. Ever since he began teaching her some basic self-defense maneuvers, as well as how to handle a small firearm, Ashley's nightmares of Spain had become far less frequent. She also seemed more sure of herself, and how she would she react in an emergency situation. For security reasons, he wasn't allowed to divulge any real information about his assignment, but he did let her know that it was a location in Florida that he was going to.

Another tradition of his before a mission, was to visit the gym, followed by a trip to the shooting range. He did this in order to keep his skills as sharp as possible, so there was less chance of him getting killed, or worse, getting someone else killed. Leon also took the time to brush up on the methods necessary to handle the types of bio-weapons he might have to face. For the next hour, he perused his older mission files, and incident reports in order to refresh his memory:

_**Zombies:** Shoot them in the head, or burn them. (Avoid direct contact with all "T" carriers)_

_**Las Plagas carriers:** Head shots in daylight, chest shots at night. Flash grenades are particularly effective. (Are adept at using weapons; Excellent communication for swarming; Slightly enhanced strength; Will run at you.)_

_**Tyrants and other strong mutations:** High powered ammunition such as shotguns and magnums are the best weapons. (Watch out for abnormally large claws; They like to break through walls.)_

_**Lickers:** Attack exposed brains. (Very quick; Can crawl along walls; Beware of sharp tongue, literally)_

_**Spiders:** Watch out for poison spray. Weak against acid or fire._

_**Hunters:** Reputed to be quick, agile, stealthy, and strong for their rather small stature. Reptilian features. Said to resemble skinned gorillas. Unfamiliar, haven't encountered them._

_**Re-generators and Iron Maidens:** Controlled by multiple Plagas in body, detectable by infrared light. Each plaga must be destroyed before creature will go down. Iron Maidens armed with retractable spikes on their bodies. Will attempt to use stretching ability to grab you and pull you into their bodies in effort to impale you against themselves._

_**Los Garradors:** Deceptively quick. Blind, but equipped with ultra-sensitive hearing. Long blades protruding from wrists. Plagas are their weak points. _

_**El Gigantes:** Turn around and run like hell. Slow, but will throw large objects at you. Plagas located between shoulder blades. They are the only weak spot._

After studying the files, Leon left his apartment, and headed for the rendezvous point.

A half an hour later Leon arrived at the airstrip, located a few miles out of D.C. As he approached, Leon could see the left side profile of the plane. The first thing he noticed was that the plane was unusually large for a privately owned craft. It was all black, save for a thin dark red stripe that stretched the full length of the airplane. The tail fin was decorated with a red eagle in attack position. He noticed that there were only two windows near the front, not including the cockpit windshield. Of course there were two windows on the opposite side as well, but the right side was hidden from view. The door of the plane, which folded down when opened (creating a red boarding stairwell), was flanked by two human figures.

As he walked toward the aircraft, he was greeted by Hunnigan. She was dressed in her usual business suit, consisting of a dark blazer (worn over a white blouse), with matching, knee-length skirt; a black pair of one-inch heels, and her usual glasses (which had been conspicuous by their absence when he'd seen her that morning). Her dark hair was up in it's usual bun. The other person, who he figured was the pilot, was dressed in a more casual manner. He was wearing a black polo shirt, underneath a black bomber jacket, and black cargo pants and black construction boots. He was about the same size and build as Leon, but he wore his dark (with bits of gray) hair down to about mid-neck.

"Good evening Agent Kennedy," Hunnigan said.

"No need to be so formal Ingrid, we're going to Disney World after all."

"Need I remind you that this is NOT a vacation Kennedy?" Hunnigan responded sternly, "And don't call me Ingrid!"

He knew she hated her first name, and that she was very uptight during missions. This fact made her earlier wardrobe and overall appearance even more of a surprise to the young agent. It also increased the fun of teasing her.

Having calmed down, Hunnigan introduced the two men, "Leon, this is Colonel James King. He's a former Naval pilot, and served with President Graham during the first Gulf War. As you have probably guessed, he will be our pilot on this assignment."

"Good to meet you Colonel," said Leon as he shook the man's hand.

"Same here Mr. Kennedy. Let's just skip the formalities, shall we? First name basis makes me more comfortable, so you can call me Jim."

Leon replied, "Sounds good to me sir..., I mean Jim."

"Now, Artie tells me that you were the young man responsible for bringing my god-daughter home a year-and-a-half ago. He speaks rather highly of you, as do Ashley and her mom, Jenny."

Leon had nearly forgotten President Graham's first name. Most people referred to him as The President, or Mr. President, so he was slightly taken aback at the casual use of President Arthur Graham's name.

"Yes sir. Ashley's a great girl, and she went through quite an ordeal. I was happy to be the one chosen to help."

"Hmm, well hearing that, Leon, I can't help but wonder if the two of you are dating?"

"Oh, no sir. Ashley and I have just become good friends."

"Good to hear. Well, let's prepare for takeoff shall we? And again, call me Jim."

Leon was quite surprised at the homey interior of the plane. It was decorated in tones of red, black, and gray, and looked a bit like a living room, complete with comfortable looking seats, a small end-table, and even a wall-mounted HDTV. The door to the cockpit was on his immediate left as he entered, and there was a black curtain on the opposite side that spanned the width of the plane.

"As you can see Leon," Jim began, "this plane is a virtual mobile home. Mission Central is located just behind that curtain, and beyond that is a tiny, yet functional, kitchen. It's equipped with a mini-fridge, a small microwave, and a small, single-basin sink, as well as a small cabinet for a few dishes. Just past that is a standard sized in-flight bathroom. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll give you a tour."

Hunnigan, Leon, and Jim made their way to the rear of the plane. As Jim had said, just behind the black curtain was Mission Central. On the right side of the cabin there was a small, but well-equipped communication console. On the opposite side, the wall was decorated with a small arsenal: there were two 9mm pistols; two magnums; a sub-machine gun; A pump-action shotgun; and the always popular shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.

"Always be prepared. That's my motto!" Exclaimed Jim, noticing the surprise on Leon's face. "Well, you may as well get comfy, ETA is three hours."

Leon spent a good portion of the flight by himself. Hunnigan was usually in the cockpit with Colonel King. As it turned out, she was the co-pilot for this assignment.

"Well, you're just full of surprises today Ingrid," Leon said when he'd found out.

"I gotta keep you on your toes somehow Kennedy; and again, DON'T call m..."

She was cutoff by Leon, "I know, don't call you Ingrid. Jeez. Tell me something Hunnigan, did you force your date last night to call you by your last name too?"

"Not that it's any of your business, Kennedy, but I wasn't on a date. I was out for cocktails with an old college friend." Taking notice of the look on Leon's face after that statement, Hunnigan quickly added, "A female friend Leon."

"Wow, you two are bickering like an old married couple," Jim joked, as he had the cockpit door opened, and had been eavesdropping.

Leon and Hunnigan both began to chuckle a bit. "Actually," Ingrid said, "I'm not his type. He prefers mysterious women in red."

"Ooh, touche Ingrid, touche." Usually the subject of Ada Wong, and her apparent alliance with the notorious Albert Wesker, was a sore one for the young agent. But in recent months he'd become far less touchy about it, even to the point of being able to withstand the occasional ribbing from his co-workers, and even joking about it himself.

The rest of the flight was rather uneventful and quiet, and before they knew it, the trio had arrived at their destination. As Jim landed the plane on a long-since abandoned airstrip, the feeling of ease was replaced by a slightly increased feeling of foreboding. Leon would be heading for the Sunrise Motel to prepare for his rendezvous with the mysterious contact the next morning. Meanwhile, Hunnigan and Colonel King would be setting up base at the airfield. It was time for business.

**A/N:** I just want to take a moment to correct a slight error in my previous chapter. After my first edit, I realized a made a mistake on the time-frame of the first Gulf War. I stated in the story that Graham flew in Operation: Desert Storm 17 years prior to the story. That is inaccurate. The story takes place in April 2006 (1 and 1/2 years after RE4, and roughly 6 months after RE: Degeneration), which is a 15 year difference. I know it's not a big thing, but I wanted to address it anyway. Thanx for reading!


	4. The Contact

**Ch. 4: The Contact**

After touching down, the plane carrying Leon, Colonel King, and Hunnigan pulled into a hangar.

"Thank you all for flying King Air. I hope you enjoyed your flight. Please remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop," Jim joked.

Leon expected the hangar to be at the end of the runway, but as he got off the plane, he noticed that the runway continued out through the other side.

"Well, I guess that beats turning this thing around," he quipped while pointing at the private jet.

After everyone was off the plane, Jim went over to a small control panel near a normal-sized door, and started pushing buttons. Then doors on each end of the hangar began to close inward from each side of both openings.

"Heh, a little high-tech for an abandoned place, don't you think?"

"Well Leon," said Hunnigan, "It makes a great disguise, doesn't it?"

Jim began to explain, "This place was set up a couple years back as a possible hideout for the President in the event of an attempt on his life, or those of his family. This is a favorite vacation spot for Artie after all. After Ashley was kidnapped by those Los Illuminados guys, they spruced the place up a bit."

Leon listened intently as Jim continued to talk about underground bunkers; destruct sequences; tunnels; and master controls located beneath their feet.

"...down the ladder beneath the trap door over there is the entrance to special living quarters for the First Family to use if they should ever need to stay low for a few days," Jim finished the verbal tour.

Unfortunately, it was getting late, and Leon needed to get into town and check in at the Sunrise Motel by eleven pm.

"Here's your new phone Leon. It's equipped with the latest encryption technology to prevent unwanted eavesdropping, and state-of-the-art GPS tracking that allows us to find you, and vice versa."

"Does this mean we can find each other for a secret rendezvous later," quipped Leon.

"Only in your dreams Kennedy, only in your dreams."

Leon's tone became more serious as he asked, "What else can you tell me?"

Hunnigan answered, "Only that your contact is female, and she will be using the assumed name Rhiannon Clarke."

"And the cover story?" Leon asked.

"I'm sure you can use your imagination for a cover story," Hunnigan said with a mischievous smile. She then handed him a set of keys, and said, "Drive safe. Contact us after you arrive."

As he left, Leon noticed a blue Camry waiting for him. He also noticed for the first time that the landing zone was surrounded by tall grass and trees, and also a lot of water.

"Great," he thought out loud, "Knee-deep in the freaking Everglades."

Twenty minutes later, Leon pulled into town. He was shocked at just how small it really seemed. Even though Raccoon City had been quite small for a city, Kenwood Falls made it look like Manhattan. As far as he could tell, there were only a few tall office buildings, the tallest was maybe fifteen stories. Even Raccoon City had a couple classified skyscrapers. Like Raccoon, Kenwood Falls was surrounded by a vast rural landscape, but it was mostly wetlands, while the former was shadowed by the Arklay Mountains. The streets were mostly two lanes and he could make out nice row homes that lined the side streets. He decided that this could possibly be a nice place to live, if he could prevent a major outbreak, that is.

After about ten minutes of sight-seeing through the small, fifty-five thousand person town, Leon finally arrived at the Sunrise Motel. It seemed to be about average size for a motel, and it decorated in shades of blue and white. He pulled in front of the office, exited the car, and entered. The office was actually two things in one: a small convenience store that brought to mind a mini-Seven-Eleven, and the management office. Behind the check-in counter was a middle-aged man, maybe fifty-five years of age, and behind the store counter was a younger woman, maybe thirty. They were obviously father and daughter, given their resemblance to each other.

"Welcome to the Sunrise, young man. How can I help you this evening?"

"Good evening, my name is Leo...er, Larry Keach, I believe I have a room reserved?"

"Let me see..., ah yes. Here's your key Mr. Keach, room number two-zero-one."

"Thank you. I'm supposed to be meeting my cousin tomorrow morning at six o'clock. Her name is Rhiannon Clarke. When she arrives, could you send her to my room please?"

"Sure thing Mr. Keach, or at least my wife will, she's the morning person in the family. Will you be staying in town long?"

"Oh, no. We are going to meet up with some friends and go on a boat trip, so I'm only staying for the night."

"Oh, well, enjoy your stay sir."

"Will do, thanks."

Leon bought some chips and a soda from the convenience store and went to his room. It was located across the parking lot, on the second floor, overlooking the pool. The room was normal in size, with a small dresser, a TV, an end table and a double-bed. Then, as he looked over the bed, his jaw dropped. On the wall there hung a painting of the aerial view of a small city. It was located in the shadow of what looked like a forest. The painting was not of Kenwood Falls, but of Raccoon City.

Suddenly, his phone went off.

"Leon?"

"Yes Hunnigan?"

"How's the room?"

"Nice, but why in the hell is there a painting of Raccoon City?"

"It's hanging in front of the wall safe. All I know is that the painting itself is a clue to both the safe combination, and the password needed to confirm the identity of your contact. The safe combination is ten, one, ninety-eight."

"That's the date Raccoon City was destroyed."

"Yes Leon, it is. The other clue is for you to find."

"Thanks Hunnigan. I'll contact you in the morning."

After hanging up, Leon took down the painting, and opened the hidden safe. as promised, inside the safe was a Heckler and Kotch (H&K) nine millimeter, along with a box of ammo. There was also a small file that basically said the password was printed in the painting, and the question he was to ask the contact in order to confirm her identity. The final item was a decoder that resembled, and could function as, a magnifying glass. As he examined the portrait with the decoder, he noticed some things invisible to an untrained eye. He could make out the Spencer Estate; A building he wasn't familiar with. Unbeknownst to Leon, it was the Umbrella Training Facility; and a train, which would be the Elliptic Express, also unknown to the agent. The landmarks were connected by a thin outline, like some strange connect the dots drawing. The shape resembled a leech, which Leon figured to be the codeword.

"These guys are as bad as Umbrella with their twisted love of puzzles and mind games," he thought.

After consuming his chips and soda, Leon went to sleep, with the gun under his pillow. Suddenly he woke up to the sound of a knock on his door. He looked at his watch, six o'clock had arrived.

After another knock, he took out his gun and answered, "Who is it?"

"Mr. Keach?" It sounded like a young female, "It's Rhiannon Clarke."

"Tell me, what creature was used to create the T-Virus?"

"The answer is leech," the female responded.

Leon opened the door and put down the gun. In front of the door stood a young woman. She had a short, tomboyish haircut, and she was tiny, standing only five-feet three inches, and there's no way she weighed more than a hundred pounds. Leon didn't know her, but there was something familiar about her.

"Well, can I come in?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. Nice meeting you, Rhiannon."

"Likewise. I received a message that we were to go to Mission Central, and you know where it is."

At this point, Leon realized she was wearing a light green, button-down blouse. The blouse wasn't tucked, and fell over a pair of black jeans which were rolled up to about mid-calf. She was wearing a white pair of ankle socks under a pair of high-top sneakers, also white.

The duo left the motel, and during checkout, the manager's wife mistakenly said that Rhiannon looked about sixteen. Leon found it rather amusing, because it was true. Rhiannon, however, wasn't really amused, although she wasn't really offended. She just sort of took it in stride, and stated that she was actually twenty-five, soon to be twenty-six.

A short while later, the two of them arrived at the airfield.

"Good, now that you've arrived," said Hunnigan, "Let's drop the fake ID's shall we?"

Hunnigan introduced the two of them, "Leon S. Kennedy, this is Rebecca Chambers. She's the reason we're here."


	5. Rebecca's Story

**Ch. 5: Rebecca's Story**

When Leon heard the name 'Rebecca Chambers,' he felt a sudden pang of familiarity. The reason he seemed to recognize her, despite never having met her, came to him.

"Rebecca Chambers?" He asked, "As in S.T.A.R.S medic Rebecca Chambers?"

"The one and only."

Leon now recalled having seen a picture of her in the S.T.A.R.S office back in Raccoon City seven, nearly eight, years ago. She hadn't really changed at all. She still had her youthful looks, as well as her seemingly trademark hairstyle.

"So, where have you been? What have you been doing since nineteen-ninety-eight?" Leon asked.

"Well," Rebecca began, "As you know, I was part of S.T.A.R.S Bravo Team. We were the first team sent in to investigate the murders in the Arklay Mountains. In short, our chopper crashed as we flew over the forest. A short while later we discovered the remains of a military police transport team. Their jeep was overturned, and the occupants were all dead, except for the prisoner. The clip board we found mentioned that they were transporting Marine Lieutenant Billy Coen to a maximum security prison where he was facing execution for the murders of twenty-three people. I separated from the team, and found an abandoned train, the Ecliptic Express. I investigated, and discovered that the train's passengers and crew had all been attacked by leeches, which were infected with the T-virus. I also met Billy Coen, and together we survived a train wreck, and found the Umbrella Training Facility. We later discovered that the facility director, James Marcus, was responsible, not only for the creation of the 'Tyrant' virus, but for the incidents at the Spencer Estate, and the attack on the train. He, or rather his leeches, did it to avenge his murder at the hands of Umbrella's two top researchers. I discovered later that one of them was S.T.A.R.S Alpha Team captain Albert Wesker. The other was rogue scientist, William Birkin."

Rebecca noticed a look of recognition on the face of Leon, "You know about Birkin?"

"Yes," Leon answered. "He was the developer of the G-virus, and he became his own first test subject. I also know about Chief Brian Irons and his involvement in all the cover-ups, thanks to a reporter named Ben Bertolucci. He discovered this and planned to report everything, but he was murdered by the mutated form of William."

"What I don't know," Leon continued, "are the rest of the details concerning you."

Rebecca continued, "Well, after facing off against the queen leech, who had remarkably developed the ability to mimic the form of James Marcus, I rewarded Billy Coen with his reward for helping me, his freedom."

Rebecca paused for a moment and swallowed hard. Leon noticed that her eyes had started to well up as she began the next series of events.

"After that, I reconnected with with fellow Bravo Team member Richard Aiken, and together we fought our way through Raccoon Forest, and into the Spencer Estate."

Tears were now visibly streaming down Rebecca's small, rounded face as she recalled what happened next.

"After we got into the mansion, we tried to take refuge in the attic. There was a-a giant snake, classified as um...'Yawn.' It tried to attack me, b-but Richard, he...he uh, pushed me out of the way, and was grabbed by it. I managed to fight it off, and we escaped the attic, but the damage was done. He was poisoned, and I wasn't able to save him."

Pangs of guilt surged through her, and the next part almost came out in a scream, "I was the team medic and I couldn't save him, like he did me!"

"The entire S.T.A.R.S Bravo Team: Edward, Kenneth, Forrest, Kevin, Richard, and Enrico; all gone, and I couldn't do anything to help any of them!"

Rebecca was now sobbing, almost hysterically, into Hunnigan's shoulder. It was as if she'd dammed it all up, and after years of holding back everything, she finally opened the floodgates. After a long break, allowing her to regain her composure, Rebecca recounted how Chris found her, and how the two of them, along with Barry, Jill, and Brad escaped the exploding Spencer estate.

She continued, "...Then I wrote up a false report, detailing the supposed death of Billy Coen. For several weeks after that, I tried to focus on work, but I couldn't look anyone in the eye anymore, so I quit. Chris, Jill, Barry, and even 'Chicken-Heart' Vickers decided to go to Europe to find Umbrella's main HQ, but I quit. Some S.T.A.R.S member huh? I guess you all think I'm a coward?"

"No," Leon answered, to Rebecca's surprise. "You were barely eighteen years old; trained as a medic, not a soldier; you saw friends die in front of you, in a situation you couldn't hope to control; you were only on the team for a month, a rookie, and on your first assignment; you were betrayed by those people you thought were on your side, people you trusted. No, you're not even close to a coward, you're a survivor. You survived a situation that most teenage girls, hell, most teenage guys, _most_ _people,_ would not be able to handle. Now you're back in the fight. The question isn't whether or not you're a coward, but what brought you back in to the fight?"

After another long pause, Rebecca continued.

"After I left Raccoon City, I went back home and lived with my parents. I didn't have much money, other than what I had left of my last paycheck from the RPD. I accepted jobs, such as waiting tables, that I was really overqualified for. I wanted to help my folks out you know?" Rebecca paused to take a drink of water.

"Then, a few years later, I was contacted by someone who, according to files I was given, you're very familiar with...," Rebecca said as she glanced at Leon, "...Claire Redfield. She had become my only friend outside of work, during my first couple of weeks with S.T.A.R.S. She was well into her time with TerraSave, and she asked me if I wanted to be part of the team that had begun investigating WilPharma. Maybe it was a desire to do the right thing, or maybe it was to make up for leaving S.T.A.R.S, maybe a bit of both, but I said yes. My only request was that I didn't have to fight, at least, not physically."

"Shortly after that, I used my background in biochemistry (with no mention of my time in S.T.A.R.S) to get a job in research and development. That was the only way I could acquire information." "Everyone thought WilPharma would become another Umbrella."

Jim scoffed, "Damn good guess if you ask me...er, sorry, continue, please?"

"A requirement of the job, I was told, was to take random monthly blood tests. According to the guy who hired me, it was a precaution against infection from the outside. I went along to keep my cover intact. Apparently, during one of these tests, an anomaly was found in my bloodstream. Being AB negative, my blood was already very rare. However, what nobody expected, not even me...,"

Rebecca reached up with her left hand and rubbed a spot on her right shoulder as she said this, "...was that I have an immunity to the T-virus." There was a collective gasp from everyone around her, but Rebecca pretended not to notice.

"I had always wondered why I didn't get turned into a zombie after I'd been bitten by a T-infected primate, or Eliminator, on my right shoulder years before at the Umbrella Training Facility. I'd always believed that only humans were capable of infecting other humans through biting, but when I spotted someone performing experiments with human tissue that they injected with eliminator saliva, I saw the flesh rot and I realized I'd been wrong about that the whole time."

"That's right," Rebecca said, realizing what they all were probably already thinking, "My blood was used to create the T-vaccine, which was used to inoculate the military against the T-virus, before they were sent to contain the outbreak at..."

Leon found himself speaking simultaneously with Rebecca, "...the Harvardville International Airport."

Rebecca continued, "Of course, months before that, I discovered that Frederic Downing had authorized the use of human test subjects for viral research. It was then that I alerted TerraSave, who aggressively began their campaign against the company. Unfortunately, a breach in security was discovered, and they staged the Harvardville incident to rebuild public trust in WilPharma."

"I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd be discovered as the mole, so I left, and moved here to Kenwood Falls. One day, during a walk, I found some tracks leading into the woods. It appeared that something had been dragged by something bigger, so out of natural curiosity, I followed them. They led to an abandoned military outpost located about five miles east of town, which is where WilPharma's local labs are believed to be hidden. I know, big surprise huh?"

Rebecca paused once again before continuing, "I opted not to follow any further, so I contacted the B.S.A.A. Unfortunately Chris, Jill, and Barry have been out chasing leads on the whereabouts of Albert Wesker and maybe even Ozwell Spencer. I tried to get Claire as well, but she declined and recommended you Leon, and she did so quite highly. And that brings us to the present." Rebecca finished.

"Well then," Leon started, "let's get started. The sooner we get moving, the closer we are to scrubbing these viruses off the face of the Earth." .


	6. It Begins

**Ch. 6: It Begins**

An hour later, Leon and Rebecca were suited up, and ready to go. Leon was in his usual short-sleeve under armor. He wore a black kevlar vest, with his military knife snapped in to a knife sheath on the left shoulder. He wore a chest harness with two custom holsters for his twin H&K VP70 9 mms. that were equipped with laser sights. He had on a pair of navy blue cargo pants, held up by a black belt which had three pouches attached, for carrying extra clips. Strapped to his right leg was another custom holster, which held his favorite .50 AE Desert Eagle. His pants fell over his black, steel-tipped military boots.

Rebecca wore a similar style outfit, but her shirt sleeves traveled down her arms and stopped halfway down her forearms. She wore a dark gray vest, equipped with four pouches in the front for carrying extra clips and ammo for her S.T.A.R.S special, or 9mm Kendo Custom Samurai Edge.

She asked, "Where did you guys get this?"

Leon explained, "Chris gave it to me as a gift for helping Claire survive Raccoon City. But, since you were actually a member of S.T.A.R.S, I thought you should have it."

"Thanks," she said.

Rebecca was also carrying a Benelli pump-action shotgun, held on her back by a strap that she wore across her chest. The shotgun had no stock which made it far easier to carry, especially given her small frame. She also wore a black belt which held up a dark green pair of cargo pants that she inexplicably rolled up to mid-calf, as per her usual style, which enabled you to see her black military boots, also steel-tipped. Like Leon, she had a custom holster strapped to her right leg, which housed the gun she'd been given. Her handgun also had an attached laser sight. Hanging loosely about her hips was a gray belt, which had pouches used to carry medical supplies.

Both Leon and Rebecca wore black, fingerless gloves, and military watches. They were also equipped with blue tooth headsets for communication in case they separated, and they each had a video satellite phone to communicate with both Hunnigan and Colonel King, who were staying back at Mission Central.

By the time they had another short briefing and gotten suited up and armed, the time had already reached noon, and it had become much hotter. Their clothes were actually quite comfortable, but because of their dark colors, the heat seemed to intensify.

A half an hour later, Leon and Rebecca arrived by jeep at the abandoned military outpost Rebecca had described in her story. There was a fifteen foot high fence surrounding the compound. Within the perimeter of the fence was a large, single-story building, along with two or three smaller buildings, also one story. There were several military vehicles which all seemed to be rather derelict. There was grass that grew at least two feet high, and there were several metal crates strewn about the place. It looked as though it had been abandoned for at least five years.

"It's way too quiet," Leon observed.

Rebecca agreed, "Yeah, we better be on our guard."

As they made their way around, they finally found the gates. Through the gate, they could see the main entrance to the facility, about twenty yards in. The gate was held in place by a rusty padlock. Leon threw a stick at the gate to make sure it wasn't electrified. When he and Rebecca were sure the gate was not live, he unsheathed his knife and used it to pry open the old lock. The gates squeaked loudly as they swung open, and suddenly there was a pronounced growl coming from somewhere in the grass.

"Shit!" exclaimed Leon, "I knew it was too quiet. Rebecca, over there!" Leon pointed toward a hummer about five yards to his and Rebecca's right. They bolted for it.

They immediately began to hear the sounds of several footsteps in the grass as they ran toward the transport. Just as they were about to reach the vehicle, a black shadow leaped from the grass and landed hard on Leon's chest. Rebecca managed to reach the hummer and she climbed up, just as another dog jumped at her. She managed to avoid it's snapping jaws as she climbed high onto the roof of the truck. The dog jumped up to the hood of the hummer, giving Rebecca a clear shot. The body of the canine flew back and slumped on the ground as the bullet from Rebecca's 9mm slammed into it's skull.

Meanwhile, Leon was struggling to get the zombie doberman off of him. The dog was much stronger than it's normal counterparts. Leon had dropped his knife when the dog slammed into him, and he fought to keep the monster's jaws away from his face and neck as he reached for it.

"Just a little further..." he said to himself as he finally felt the handle of the knife. He grasped the weapon and thrust the ten inch blade toward the dog's skull. The beast let out a yelp as the blade entered the side of it's rotting head. He heard several shots as he looked and saw Rebecca finish off a second, then a third undead dog. He fired at a fourth dog and watched it fall, lifeless, at the side of the military vehicle Rebecca had taken refuge on.

"Well," said Rebecca,catching her breath, "this is definitely the right place."

Maybe it was the distraction of the attack that prevented them from noticing before, but the smell of death and decay had suddenly become much stronger, and the hot air didn't help matters. Leon helped Rebecca off the vehicle, and the two of them noticed that the metal crates were actually cages, which had likely been used to transport the dogs they'd just encountered. They nearly choked on the smell as they approached the main doors to what was probably the administrative building of the small outpost, both of them with their guns drawn.

As they entered the building, the smell of rotting flesh was joined by the sound of moaning and shuffling feet. They weren't sure where it was coming from. The main office was on the right, and there were smaller recruiting rooms to the left. Further back, there was a large window, and the landscape could be seen through the glass, almost like a painting. Then, from what appeared to be a hallway going left, they saw them. At least a half dozen undead zombies were heading their way. Then, just as Leon and Rebecca were setting up to aim for their heads, there was a choir loud hisses, and the zombies started running toward them.

"Since when do these things run!" was all Rebecca could say as she and Leon opened fire on the charging zombies. The zombies were too fast to get head shots, so they settled for body shots until the undead fell back. Only then did they approach the fallen bodies and shoot them in their heads.

The besieged duo let out a collective sigh, realizing how lucky they'd been.

"Holy crap! Apparently they've found a way to enhance the effects of the T-virus." Rebecca exclaimed.

"Either that, or these zombies are displaying early symptoms of exposure to Las Plagas." Leon added.

"Las... Las Plagas?" Rebecca asked, obviously surprised.

"Yeah, I faced an angry village of Los Ganados a year-and-a-half ago in Spain. They had been infected with parasitic organisms known as Las Plagas..."

Leon explained everything that happened in Spain. Everything he'd known about Las Plagas creatures, Ashley's rescue, the works.

"Wow," said Rebecca, impressed, "You really are a one man army. I see why Claire made such a big deal about asking for your help in this mess."

"I wouldn't say that, I did have a bit of unexpected help..."

Leon went on to finish explaining how he'd been helped by Luis Sera, the U.S. Military pilot known only as Mike, and even Ada Wong.

"Even so, you were sent in alone. That means President Graham must really have confidence in you and your abilities."

"Thanks, Rebecca. Let's just hope his faith in me is still warranted after this mess."

**A/N:** I just want to thank all my reviewers so far. As you can see, I've finally started the action. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. I know I've probably overdone it on descriptions at times, but I just like to help my readers visualize the characters in the story. I know I didn't make too many changes in the characters' appearances, but that's just my way of honoring the way Capcom designed them to begin with. As usual, please read and review!


	7. The Armory

**Author's Note:**

Finally, a new chapter! What's it been, 3 months? My apologies to my readers. I work at the movies, so my summer was pretty busy with work. Hopefully I still have some fans out there, and I hope I'll be a little more frequent with my updates from here on out. Thanks for the support and patience. As always please review!

**Ch. 7: The Armory**

More than an hour (not to mention a truckload of plagas zombies) later, Leon and Rebecca entered the last small building of the abandoned outpost. They were happy to discover that the building (which was more like a large one-room cabin in size) was remarkably clear of undead surprises. Apparently, they had found the armory. This was a good thing, since they were down to only a few mags each. They both had spatters of blood on their clothes from disposing of so many members of the living dead. Aside from their less than stellar appearances, the special agent and his partner were fairly unscathed.

After restocking their ammo reserves, and reloading their weapons, Leon and Rebecca prepared to head back to Mission Central. There, they would regroup with Hunnigan and Jim to discuss the next step in the investigation. As they approached the door however, two things happened at once. There was a high-pitched beeping noise that took them both by surprise. The other thing was that a solid steel grate descended from the ceiling to the floor, sealing off the only door out of the armory.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Leon, then he heard Rebecca.

"Leon, look!"

Leon turned toward Rebecca, who had made her way to the opposite side of the room. In front of her was another door that had not been there when they first entered. On the left side of the newly revealed door was a red panel. The panel was adorned with a lettered keyboard used to type in a password.

"Leon," Rebecca said, "We need to look for a clue to the password somewhere."

"Right, you take this half of the room, and I'll take the other," he responded.

Rebecca nodded and they started searching. About five minutes later, Rebecca called to Leon once more. He went over to the steel grate where she stood. She had found what was obviously the clue:

_This way is no longer open to you, intruder._

_Those who follow the true way to enlightenment _

_shall be rewarded with a new path to freedom._

_All others shall be rewarded only with death,_

_for Only The Enlightened Ones may truly live._

Both the investigators knew the clue was in the message. Leon, however, suddenly seemed troubled.

"Leon? What's wrong?"

"It can't be...," he replied. "Here, in the United States? Dammit, Saddler played me for a fool!"

The sudden anger in Leon's outburst took Rebecca by surprise.

"Leon, what are you talking about?"

"Osmund Saddler told me that he had planned to send Ashley Graham home after receiving a payoff. He would use that money to build-up his cult. However, Ashley had a plagas parasite inside her body. Saddler had intended to use Ashley to spread Las Plagas, thereby seizing control of the President, and in essence, the United States. But Ashley's kidnapping was just a ploy. The true threat was already here. Las Plagas had to have been smuggled into the country during my mission. That means there was someone else besides Krauser on the inside. Unfortunately for them, I was able to get Ashley back home safely before the plan could be carried out."

"Leon?" Rebecca asked, obviously worried, "How do you know this?"

"The clue," he responded. " _'Only The Enlightened Ones.'_ The Enlightened Ones is translated to **'Los Illuminados.'** "

"That's it!" Rebecca exclaimed. Leon looked confused.

"The password has to be Los Illuminados."

Leon punched in the password, and they heard the sound of moving machinery. However, the door didn't open. Then they heard a grunting noise that made the hair on the back of Leon's neck stand up.

They looked at the same time. Standing there, on what appeared to be a raised platform, was the meanest looking soldier Rebecca had ever seen in her life. Extremely tall and muscular, a dark-skinned man - if you could call it that - was wearing gray camouflage pants and a red beret. He was armed with a helicopter mini-gun, or gatling gun. All at once, the multiple barrels began to spin and make a whirring noise.

"TAKE COVER!" Leon shouted, and the loud sound of bullets rent the air around them as Leon and Rebecca dove behind one of the solid steel cabinets in the room.

The steel barely withstood the impact of the bullets, but it was enough. Leon knew he had only a few seconds before the plaga-enhanced soldier would fire again. He grabbed a nearby flash grenade, and told Rebecca to cover her eyes as he launched it toward the creature, whose class was affectionately referred to as JJ. The flash grenade did it's job, and momentarily blinded and stunned the monstrosity.

Leon, knowing he didn't have much time, sprinted toward the thing with his Desert Eagle drawn. Unfortunately, he underestimated the speed of his blinded opponent who swung at the charging agent and knocked him into a nearby wall. Leon felt the hard impact against the wall, and for a split second he thought his body had been shattered. The monster turned his regained focus on Leon and readied his gun. Leon braced himself for the attack, but it never came. Three loud shots rang out, and Leon saw that Rebecca had fired her shotgun at the body, gun arm, and left knee of his would-be executioner. JJ roared in pain as he fell to one knee. Leon, having dropped his magnum after the monster's blow, unsheathed his knife and threw it. The blade sunk into the creature's forehead, and it fell on it's back. Leon walked over to it after picking up his magnum. He pulled the knife from JJ's head, and fired a single .50 caliber Action Express round into the still-living attacker's knife wound. The two investigators shielded their eyes and turned their heads as brain matter and blood exploded everywhere.

"So," Rebecca said, trying to relieve the tension, "I guess that wasn't the right password then?"

"Wait a second," Leon said, "Those who follow the true way... follow... followers..." Leon was muttering. He turned to Rebecca, "Try 'Believers'," he said. It worked. the formerly hidden door slid open, and they walked through it into a gray cement tunnel, that led to who-knew-where.


	8. The War At Home

**Author's note:**

Once again, my apologies for such a long break. I actually had this chapter written out and ready to go a few weeks back, but things got busy at work, and I got pulled back into RE4 now that its available in hd on my system. Anyway, this ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, and I make detour back to Washington, DC, hence the title. Anyway, please r&r, and I hope you all like it.

**Ch. 8: The War At Home**

As Leon and Rebecca continued down the narrow corridor, the stench of decaying flesh was growing stronger. They were relieved that they hadn't encountered anything since leaving the armory. However, there was still an overwhelming sense of foreboding. They finally reached an enclosed area, and immediately realized that the smell was caused by a dumpster that was suspiciously placed outside, and to the right of a pair of double doors that were made of stainless steel.

There was a seam around the base of the dumpster that revealed a platform elevator designed to lift the large trash can up to the surface for emptying.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Leon said as they approached the door.

"Ten bucks says that there are dead bodies in that dumpster," quipped Rebecca, to which Leon replied:

"I'll see your ten, and raise you another twenty that says the door leads to the lab?"

"That's one bet I won't be making. The odds are stacked way too high," was Rebecca's response.

There was a brief moment of silence when their receivers came to life. Leon was the first to respond.

"Leon, what's the status of the mission?"

"Not good Hunnigan. We just had an interesting reunion with a ganado soldier. You know, the type I referred to as JJ?"

Hunnigan's gasp was very audible in the surrounding silence as Leon continued, "Yeah, apparently the Los Illuminados are still kicking. The clue and subsequent password used to escape the armory was based on the very cult that was responsible for Ashley's kidnapping a year-and-a-half ago. My guess is that Krauser wasn't the only insider on Saddlers payroll."

"So do you think that Saddler could have contacted this other person here in the U.S. during your mission in Spain?"

"If I were a betting man, I'd say he probably did so just before he wound up on the receiving end of an RPG rocket. He was probably under the impression that I'd take him out since I defeated Krauser, who, in spite of Saddlers mutated form, was leagues above him in combat ability."

"How's Rebecca holding up?"

"I'm fine Hunnigan. I feel like I'm back in S.T.A.R.S."

"Trust me, she's more than fine. She saved my ass against JJ earlier."

Hunnigan suppressed a slight chuckle, "What? Is the President's top man losing his touch?"

"Funny Ingrid. Anyway, I think you and Jim should contact the President and warn him. If I'm right about a second insider, he could be near, and it's better to be prepared."

"Will do Leon. Hunnigan out."

Leon and Rebecca were surprised to find the double doors were not coded, and instead opened right up. However, there was another set of stainless steel doors about twenty feet from where they entered. The doors were adorned with a blue stripe that was accentuated with a WilPharma logo.

"Wait a second," said Leon, "There's no way its that easy."

He was right. As they approached the other doors, there was clicking sound, as if something had been activated. Leon looked down and saw that he and Rebecca were standing on a pressure plate. A set of steel bars slid down from the ceiling, blocking them off from the WilPharma doors. The door they came through opened and at least four crimson colored bodies crawled through. Each had long claws instead of hands, and yellow eyes that were located beneath nearly exposed brains. They all let out a unified sound that was a strange hybrid of a hiss and a scream. It would almost seem funny, if it didn't raise the hairs on the back of both Leon's and Rebecca's necks. One word came out of Leon's mouth, "Lickers."

_Meanwhile, back in DC..._

President Graham and the First Family were at the table trying to enjoy a late lunch.

"Ashley dear, why aren't you eating?" Her mother asked.

Jennifer Graham was a beautiful woman of forty-five years. She wore her long, brown hair in a casual pony-tail and stood a petite five-feet-four-inches tall. With the exception of the color of their hair and eyes, she could almost be Ashley's twin. The total opposite of her husband, Jenny (as friends and family referred to her) preferred books over TV and sports. Despite having run cross-country back in High School, Jennifer was not very athletic, but she did work out in the gym with her daughter every few days to keep in shape. When she entered college, she had given up running and instead began majoring in law and in political science. Shortly after college, she met Arthur, who had big aspirations, and the two of them began dating each other, and of course, they eventually wed, a year later Ashley was born, and Jennifer became a stay-at-home mom. Many years later, after Ashley started college, Jennifer became Arthur's campaign manager, and was an important part of Arthur's election to the U.S. Presidency. She had also been instrumental in talking her husband into allowing Leon to camp outside Ashley's room after the Spain incident. Jennifer also insisted that Leon should teach Ashley how to take care of herself. In fact, unknown to Leon, Jennifer Graham is the one who recommended that he be chosen to protect the First Family. She had done so after reading reports about his progress in the government training program, and after she heard about his exploits in Raccoon City. Much like her husband, Jennifer was very easy-going most of the time, and she and Ashley were as close as any mother and daughter could be. However, when motivated, Jennifer Graham could be very verbal, and extremely protective of her family. Many had scoffed at her suggestion to send a solitary agent into Spain, but she insisted it was the best course of action, as it would mean less lives at risk, and would curtail any possible international incidents. Needless to say, she felt quite vindicated when Leon and Ashley arrived safely back home.

"I'm not really hungry Mom."

"Ashley, honey, Leon will be fine," Arthur said. He noticed that Ashley had been very worried about Leon, but he had decided that maybe it was time to move on from Spain and that Ashley should get back to school. He even considered suggesting that she go to school in DC, or even Virginia or Baltimore, so she would be close to home.

"I know that Daddy. It's just that..., I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"I think you need to stop worrying about Leon. He has a qualified partner with him on this mission. Besides, I think its more important to think about getting back to school. You are still planning to be a nurse, aren't you?"

"Arthur, I don't think this is the time."

"When is the time Jennifer?" The President's voice seemed to go up a decibel or two as he continued, "Leon taught her a few things," he turned his gaze on Ashley, "I think its time to stop being afraid, and get yourself back out there."

Ashley's voice rose now as she began to tear up, "Daddy, you don't know what it was like to be snatched by someone the size of Jack Krauser! He enjoyed every single minute of hell that I went through on the way to Spain. I just don't think I'm ready."

Arthur's voice softened, but he remained firm, "Listen, sweetie, It's been well over a year. You need to get your life back."

"Don't tell me what I need to do, I'm not a little girl! Sorry Mom, but I'm going to my room. Let me know if you hear from Leon."

At that moment, one of Arthur's secretaries walked in with the cordless phone, "Mr. President, sir, its Mr. King."

"Artie," Jim said on the other end, "You need to get yourself and the family out of the White House asap. Leon thinks there may be another insider. I'm en route to pick you up at the private airstrip. Hide yourselves in one of the secret bunkers there, I'll be there within two to three hours."


	9. While You Were Out

**A/N:** Finally, after several months, I am back. My apologies to anyone who may have been waiting for a new chapter. A very sincere thank you to all reviewers, and anyone who has added my story to their favorites or alerts. I hope to add chapters more frequently from this point on, but no guarantees. This chapter literally took me months to flesh out, because I had multiple ideas of how I wanted to involve the Grahams, but I couldn't decide which direction to take. In the end, I thought of a new idea, and went with it. Anyway, please continue to read and review. Without further ado here is **"Resident Evil: Kenwood Falls"** chapter 9.

**Chapter 9: While You Were Out**

"Where am I?"

Leon's head was spinning. He heard seemingly distant voices...

"He'll be fine now, thanks to you."

"What was Hunnigan doing here?" he thought.

"Well, if you hadn't come, we'd still be out there," He heard Rebecca say, with an unmistakable hint of guilt in her voice,

"If only I hadn't let my guard down."

"Don't beat yourself up Rebecca," Hunnigan said, "From what you've told me, it sounds like that last attack literally came out of nowhere."

"What the hell happened?" Leon grunted as he started to sit up, only to be besieged by a sharp pain in his torso and the back of his head. His vision was blurred, but as his focus returned he started to see two silhouettes bathed in a bright light. The shadowy figures slowly came into focus to reveal Rebecca and Hunnigan, and the light started to dim somewhat, revealing what looked like the gray metal walls of an infirmary.

"You're finally awake!" exclaimed Rebecca, unable to hide the relief in her own voice.

Leon tried to stand, but his wobbly knees gave way and he found himself sitting back on the gurney.

"Whoa! Easy there cowboy! Take it slow." It was Hunnigan.

Rebecca spoke again, "Fortunately there's no head trauma, like a concussion or anything, but your ribs are a bit tender right now. Your tough Leon, I'll give you that. No concussion, and only bruised ribs after that blow. I guess that vest helped protect you from having your ribs broken."

"Yes, " Hunnigan began, "but his head is just naturally hard as steel." she laughed.

"But, all kidding aside Leon," Rebecca said as she stopped chuckling, her voice going back to feeling guilty, "You may have saved my life back there."

Leon suddenly remembered:

_"Rebecca, watch yourself. These things are called 'lickers'. They use their tongues to attack!"_

_"Eww, that's disgusting!" Rebecca replied, as she and Leon began to fire on their attackers. _

_"They can wrap their tongue around you and strangle you, or they can stab you with the barbs on the tips of their tongues. Get close enough and they'll go straight through you. It's best to try and get them in the exposed parts of their brains."_

_At that point one of the enemies wrapped it's tongue around Leon's neck. He unsheathed his combat knife and sliced it off. The creature fell back in pain and Leon was able to get a clear shot at it's brain, killing it instantly. As that was happening, Rebecca deftly dodged a piercing attack from her own attacker and released three rounds into it's chest, and one in it's skull for the kill. After dodging pouncing attacks from the final two, Leon and Rebecca took them out with a single shot each from their more powerful weapons. Rebecca put her shotgun down and turned to the doors. Suddenly, a fifth, larger licker materialized and headed toward her._

_"REBECCA LOOK OUT!" Leon jumped in front of her and took a powerful kick to the torso which knocked him back into the steel doors head first. The attacker's kick revealed it's position and Rebecca fired a single shotgun blast into it's brain, killing it. Just like that, the attack was over. Leon felt Rebecca trying to move him, and barely heard her calling for back-up just seconds before he passed out._

"How long have I been out?" he asked.

"About four-and-a-half hours. It's nighttime now." Hunnigan answered.

"Hunnigan helped me get you in here. We're inside the the WilPharma labs. She came about a half an hour after I called her on the radio. We were able to secure the area, which thankfully wasn't too hard. We're actually not that far from where we fought those monsters; maybe halfway down the hall. Unfortunately we've been sealed in. A solid steel panel slid down and blocked off the entry point shortly after we got in. A security measure to keep people in and out I suppose. I've been able to hack some of these computer files, hoping to find a passage out, but I haven't had much luck so far. However, we seem to be safe for now. Apparently, that last creature that attacked us was a licker that had been genetically altered with DNA from something called a 'novistador'."

Leon interrupted, "A giant insect with enhanced strength, flight abilities and a cloaking ability to render itself invisible."

Rebecca looked stunned, "Exactly, but how...?"

"I've encountered the 'novistadors' before. Back in Spain. They, like most of the enemies we've seen so far are controlled by 'Las Plagas'. But who else has a master plaga? That's the big question. I thought Saddler had the only master plaga, but I guess I was wrong."

Arthur Graham woke up in an unfamiliar room. His head was pounding. It took less than a moment for him to realize he was alone, and he remembered the last thing that had happened before he blacked out.

_"Arthur? What is is it?"_

_"Jennifer, get Ashley, we need to leave now. I'll explain on the way to the airstrip."_

_He looked at one of his Secret Service men and said, "Make the call. I want an armored car out front, like yesterday!"_

_"Sorry Sir, but I can't do that." He replied, as he put on a gas mask. _

_President Graham thought of his family as knockout gas flooded the White House dining room._

"Well, I see you've woken up. Did you enjoy your nap?"

The sudden sound of a distorted human voice brought the President back to the present. He looked around and noticed a camera mounted near the ceiling on the opposite wall, directly facing him. The voice was coming through a speaker on the ceiling, just above the electronically sealed door that marked the only way in or out of the room.

"Who are you? What the hell do you want with me? And where is my family?"

"My, my," the disembodied voice said, with a sneering tone, "We are quite the inquisitive one aren't we? And rather grumpy I might add. You should be grateful, after all you're still alive...for now." A cold, unfeeling laugh flooded the room.

Then the voice continued, "Very well, since you asked so nicely," The distinct sound of a throat being cleared could be heard before the strange voice continued.

"Who I am, is none of your concern, and shall remain undisclosed for the time being. However, I will tell you that your wife and daughter are safe, for the moment. Whether or not they remain so, is up to you."

"You see, you are here for a very special purpose Arthur," the mysterious speaker paused briefly, "May I call you that? Seeing as how you're not really presiding over anything at this time, I'd rather be less formal."

" Anyway, as I was saying, You are here for a special training session. You are at a secret location, where my experiments need to be assessed before being released to the highest bidder. As a former war hero, I expect you to give them a challenge. Your wife, Jennifer, is located somewhere south of your current location, and your daughter, Ashley, is located east. Your task is to find them before they become playthings for my little pets. Oh, by the way, they have been infected as well, and shall be no more than mindless flesh-eaters soon, if they survive." Once again, a cold unfeeling laugh filtered into the room through the speaker.

"You sonuvabitch! Why are you doing this!"

"Oh, don't think me completely without a sense of fair play. There is an antidote. It is located somewhere within the walls of this facility." The door to the room suddenly slid open, revealing a long, dark corridor. "There is also a handgun in the room next door, I wouldn't want you to die before seeing your family again, though they may not recognize you. In fact, if you don't find them within the next two hours and inject them with the serum, they won't. You'll be nothing more than another meal to them. Good luck, Mister President." One more cruel chuckle, and then there was only silence.


	10. The Search Begins

**Author's**** Note:** Hello, loyal readers. Once again I have gone too long without a new installment, and as such I offer my sincere apologies. Hopefully with the release of RE6 in less than two weeks, I will be able to get the creative juices flowing again, and get more done in a timely fashion. Without further ado, here is the next chapter. I made it slightly longer than usual, but as it's been 4 months since my last chapter, I think you've all earned it for your patience.

**Chapter 10: The Search Begins**

"I can't believe this is happening."

President Graham checked the magazine to his newly found Walther PPK 9mm. It had been located exactly where the mysterious, disembodied voice of his assumed kidnapper had told him it would be. It all seemed very strange to him. He suddenly began to understand how his daughter Ashley felt.

"Please God, let them be alright," he thought out loud, referring to his family, who were hidden away somewhere in this horrible place. The mystery man who revealed this to him seemed to delight in taunting him about it less than fifteen minutes before.

He cautiously traveled down the once dark corridor (He had found the breaker that operated the lights of the facility, in the same room that his weapon had been located in) that led to who knew where. He noticed that the lights glowed rather dimly through their dirty coverings. The effect was quite eerie, as this added a dingy, yellowish tint to his cave-like surroundings. Apparently, all the rooms in this facility had been carved into the rock walls of a natural tunnel-way. He realized it must have taken several years to dig the place out and build it into the underground landscape. He couldn't help but respect the work put into this place, in spite of the fact that it was currently being used for nefarious purposes. Only one thing was certain: whoever decided to do this was intent on keeping the place hidden from any unsuspecting visitors; "Hmph, quite the contrary" he thought, "stay hidden from suspicious authorities, more like."

Arthur made his way through the many creepy hallways in the facility. He stopped only briefly from time to time to assess his surroundings, and to explore the other rooms in the hope of finding the antidote he was informed of by his faceless captor. The search had been fruitless up until this point. President Graham could see a faint light ahead of him now, which told him that he was almost out of this unwelcoming prison. As he approached the end of the final tunnel, he saw another silver door, the last one of many. There was no doubt that this had to be the place to look. The door was adorned with faded red letters that read "INFIRMARY".

As he opened the door, he was assaulted by a strong, very foul, odor. He entered the room with his gun at the ready. Suddenly, he heard heavy, seemingly padded footfalls, which were accompanied by what sounded like thick nails tapping the floor. The lights in this room were burned out, and the dim light of the outer hallway wasn't much help. His heart was now pounding at seemingly super-speed as it tried to climb to his throat. If the antidote was in this room, he would have to fight to claim it. All at once he heard a terrible, guttural scream that rent the air and chilled his blood. Something lunged at him, and he barely managed to dodge a strong swipe that was clearly meant to sever his head.

"Damn! That could've taken my head off," he thought, as he quickly whirred around to face his would-be-killer. The creature wasn't much larger than a child, but it was heavily muscled. At the end of it's slightly longer than normal arms were huge claws that could've been human hands. Its appearance was not unlike a reptilian, skinned gorilla. Its yellow eyes gleamed in its newly lit surroundings, which seemed to disorient the creature, however briefly. But that was enough time for Graham to unload three bullets into the creature's chest. The impact knocked it back, and off its clawed feet, but only for a moment. Arthur readied himself for a new attack, but it never came. Two shots rang out, and the monster's skull was halved, as its blood spattered the dirt floor.

"Artie! Are you okay?" Jim called to him, as he lowered the pump-action shotgun in his hands.

"Jim? Damn I'm glad to see you. Thanks for the helping hand."

"Don't mention it. You're one lucky sonuvabitch, you know that? That thing could've taken your head off, literally."

"Yeah, what the hell is it anyway?"

"Well, I'm not sure. But from the looks of things..." Jim was looking in the room and pointed to the floor, "You're not its first meal."

Arthur looked, and saw that the once white floor was littered with the headless corpses of at least a dozen victims. However, his eyes wandered to the lit up refrigeration unit at the back of the room. He hadn't noticed it before because of the attack, but there were at least four empty test tubes. There were also two that held some sort of purplish liquid. They were labeled "T-Vaccine".

As he made his way to retrieve the two samples, Jim called out, "Hey Artie, look at this."

The President grabbed the tubes, and two syringes, then made his way to a computer where Jim was reading some sort of report. There was a photograph of the creature that had attacked him.

"Hunter," he said, "So that's what that thing is called."

"Look, there's something else." They read the short file together:

**April 21, 2005**

**The introduction of "Las Plagas" to the T- Virus has managed phenomenal results. As the parasite assimilates with the host, the T-Virus spreads through the host at a much slower pace, enabling said host to bond with the virus, and become more controlled as a result. The full process takes only a few hours to complete, and is reversible if the antidote is applied within two hours of injection. Anytime after that, the antidote will have no effect. Four of our six subjects have been tested, and there seems to be no lasting side effects. However, Subject 4 was put down when he threatened to expose our experiments to the United States President. Subjects 1, 2, and 3 have all been given false backgrounds in an effort to infiltrate the White House. We will see Saddler's plan through to success. Los Illuminados will rise back to prominence, and once we have the first family under our control, this will become much easier. Only the enlightened can truly rule.**

"Jim, let's go. I have less than two hours to find Jennifer and Ashley, otherwise, they'll become one of those things."

* * *

><p>Leon, Rebecca, and Hunnigan had been searching the underground lab for at least a half hour or so. Luckily, there had been no trouble from B. , and Leon and Rebecca were both getting more suspicious by the minute. Hunnigan, on the other hand, was rather relieved. She certainly knew how to handle firearms, and was possibly better than Rebecca in hand-to-hand combat. She wasn't a field agent however, so she had no real experience outside of a training facility, where she trained in a controlled environment. She had certainly never come face-to-face with any type of bio-weapon. Rebecca, and to a much greater extent, Leon, were used to long periods of eerie, uncomfortable silence. This usually happened just before all Hell broke loose.<p>

They'd been searching room after room, hoping to find some clue as to how they were going to get out of this place, to no avail. Rebecca and Hunnigan had worked together to hack into the system, and were able to unlock all the rooms, but they had no luck in discovering an exit, or any type of blueprint or map of the facility. The pristine, white walls of the hallway showed no signs of abandonment, despite reports to the contrary. This only solidified the evidence that the labs had been used in recent months. There was also overwhelming proof that WilPharma had a good idea of what to expect from their experiments.

Various reports found in the lab rooms had hinted at the need to put down some less than ideal specimens. Hadn't history proven that B. were dangerously unstable? However, there was no denying that the discovery of the Las Plagas parasites had greatly increased the ability to enhance and utilize bio-organic weapons for military applications. The challenge of destroying the creatures Leon and Rebecca had met since the beginning of this investigation was proof enough that there had been some modicum of success. The prospect of running into more of these things was rather unnerving, even to a seasoned pro like Leon Scott Kennedy. This made it very gratifying when the trio found themselves in a weapons depot. This was definitely not the norm, but since when have these investigations ever been normal?

Leon and Rebecca each grabbed extra 9mm ammunition, and they also grabbed a pair of Glock-17s, one for each of them. Hunnigan picked up a Beretta, and managed to find a small submachine gun, which she loaded and strapped on for extra firepower when needed. There was also a small tactical vest for her that looked pretty awkward with her business outfit. When they were finished, Leon said to Hunnigan, "Give me your shoes."

"Why, thinking of trying them on?"

"Maybe when we get out of this, you should take that comedy act on the road," he responded sarcastically.

She gave them to him and he promptly broke the three-inch heels off of them.

"Leon, what are you doing? Those are expensive!"

"Yeah, they're also noisy, and impractical. We don't know how far we're going to be walking, and running. A little stealth can't hurt either."

Hunnigan just glared at him, but she wasn't dumb. She knew he was right.

"Welcome to life in the field, Agent Hunnigan."

As they exited the room a distorted, disembodied voice came over the previously unnoticed speakers:

"Well now this is annoying. Strangers have broken into my lab."

"Who the Hell are you?" Leon responded.

"I don't think I want you to know just now, Mr. Kennedy."

"How do you know me?"

"Oh, I have my sources. I also know a good deal about Miss Chambers. But, that's enough with the niceties. I've actually contacted you with a warning."

"Yeah, I'm sure this warning is being given to us in plenty of time."

"Ah! There's the great Kennedy wit that I've heard so much about. You have about thirty minutes to secure yourselves an exit from the lab."

Leon responded, "Or what?"

"I'll let you ponder over what might happen if you aren't fortunate enough to make it. Good luck, Agent Kennedy."

"You heard the man," Rebecca said, "We'd better move."

Unfortunately, they didn't know how big the lab was, or which way to go.


	11. Separation Anxiety

**Chapter 11: Separation**

Arthur and Jim made their way out of the tunnels. President Graham realized that the light he had noticed was coming from an exceptionally bright full moon. The two men could hear the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. The sound seemed to be coming from every direction, cluing Graham in on the fact that they must have been on an island somewhere. The tropical air was mixed with the smell of a lush, tropical forest. Arthur might have thought it a beautiful, welcoming environment, had it not been for the terrible circumstances with which he was faced.

The President knew there wasn't much time. He had to find Ashley and Jennifer before they turned into walking corpses. He remembered what his captor had said to him in his holding cell:

"_Your wife Jennifer, is located somewhere south of your current location, and your daughter Ashley, is located east."_

Arthur thought that perhaps his enigmatic captor didn't know that Jim had found him. He thought this could work to his advantage.

"Jim, we need to split up. Here, take one of these tubes, and head south. When you find Jenny, give her the vaccine, and tell her that I'm going to get Ashley. We'll double back to here and regroup. After that, the four of us can get the hell out of here, and you can tell me how you managed to find me."

"Understood," Jim replied. "I'll see you soon. Good luck my friend."

Graham shook Jim's hand and patted him on the shoulder. "Likewise Jimmy."

The two best friends separated, and Arthur prayed, "Please God, don't let us be too late."

* * *

><p>Leon, Rebecca, and Hunnigan were becoming more desperate as their time continued to dwindle. They were checking every door, to every lab they could find, hoping one would be the way out. Every hallway, it seemed, was identical to the last. The only exception being the numbers and words painted on, or otherwise attached to, said doors. They finally reached a section of the hallway that split into two different directions.<p>

"Great, there are two possible routes to take. This just keeps getting worse every second," Leon said, with frustration accentuating each word.

"Leon, why don't we split-up," Hunnigan suggested.

"Yeah," Rebecca agreed. "That way we can find the way out more quickly. We'll just contact each other when we find something."

"Fine," Leon replied. "I don't like it, but you're probably right. Rebecca, you and Hunnigan take the left hallway, and I'll take the right. But don't make contact unless something is found. We don't need any undead friends crashing our little party."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"Why, you miss me already Hunnigan?" She just rolled her eyes as Leon continued, "Look, Rebecca is a pro at this, and you've never been in the field. As for me, I'm usually by myself in these situations, so I'm used to it. I'd prefer the company, but I have more solo experience than the two of you, so it makes sense. Just be careful and watch each other's sixes."

The women reluctantly agreed, and they went their separate ways.

Leon cautiously moved on ahead. He moved quickly, but he made sure to take in his surroundings. He was vaguely aware of the fact that there were only fifteen minutes left before God knew what was going to happen. He had turned several corners when he came to a dead end. He went down the hall toward the wall, thinking that there may be a panel to a hidden door. It wouldn't be the first time he'd encountered that particular situation. There were several doors along either side of the corridor, but all of them were sealed tight. However, as he approached the end of the hallway, he felt the floor beneath him give way a little.

"Shit! Leave it to me to find a pressure plate," he thought as he turned around and saw the doors open up.

"Even better," he thought, as at least fifteen or more walking cadavers appeared from within the once sealed doors.

Rebecca and Hunnigan hadn't fared much better in the last five minutes. They had been around several corners and checked several more doors themselves, but they hadn't had any luck. Finally they reached a pair of double-doors at the end of the hall. They warily approached them, and they noticed a control panel that featured a single button.

"This must be a way out. Maybe we should contact Leon?"

"Let's check it out first, Rebecca. It's best to be sure," Hunnigan said as she pushed the button.

The doors split open to reveal a rust colored platform. It had to be at least ten feet wide by ten feet wide. The ladies stepped onto the platform, and it automatically began its descent. The lift came to a stop on a floor marked 'Sublevel 2.' They stepped through another set of doors that opened out to an underground passageway. The walls were made of limestone, but the floor was raised a foot or two off the natural, uneven cavern floor. The man-made walkway was made of stainless steel, and led to yet another pair of doors. They made their way to the other end, where the doors automatically slid open to reveal an underground docking area that was built over a saltwater lake.

"So, this is where they got their supplies delivered," observed Rebecca.

"I'm calling Leon," said Hunnigan as she began to speak into her mic. "Leon!"

"Bad timing Hunnigan!" Leon's voice responded through her receiver.

"We found a possible way out. Double back and follow the other corridors to a cargo lift. Make it quick, Kennedy!"

"Good job! I'll be there as soon as possible. If I'm not there before the time is up, just go without me, Leon out!"

Leon was at minimal safe distance from the approaching horde of undead. Fortunately, they seemed to be from the slower variety. However, there wasn't enough room to maneuver without getting attacked.

"Kennedy, looks like you've got to clear a path," he thought to himself.

In what seemed like one swift motion, his arms crossed one another and he pulled both of his VP70s from their holsters and began to fire into the crowd. It was harder to fire accurately with two guns but he managed to take down several zombies with shots to the head. Unfortunately, most of the shots hit the chests and arms of the once human flesh-eaters. This didn't stop them but it did slow their progress. A few more head-shots and the dual guns clicked empty. He had no time to reload as two of the creatures had gained considerable ground on their would-be victim. Leon lifted his right leg and turned his body into a spinning back kick that not only halted the advance of his attackers, it sent them back into the now smaller crowd. Leon replaced the pistols into their holsters and reached to the back of his pants to get the Glock he'd procured from the weapon storage. He steadied himself, and grasping the new pistol with both hands, began to fire more accurately. Before long, the last two zombies were left, still blocking the narrow passageway. Once again he clicked empty. Undeterred, Leon quickly unsheathed his military knife, and sprinted toward the monsters. As he approached them, he fell into a baseball slide. With his knife at the ready, he swung through. The momentum of the slide, plus the swing of the heavy, ten-inch blade enabled him to slice through one enemy's leg, cutting off its decayed foot at the weakened ankle. The zombie fell forward. Leon quickly got back to his feet and plunged his knife into the skull of the fallen creature, killing it. He ignored the only one that was left and ran back the way he'd come.

As Leon ran, he heard the warning that he was all too familiar with:

"ATTENTION! A BIOHAZARDOUS OUTBREAK HAS OCCURRED! ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD EVACUATE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY! REPEAT! ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!"

Meanwhile, Rebecca and Hunnigan were hearing the warning as well.

"Well, that's typical," Rebecca stated as she and Hunnigan observed their own surroundings. The delivery area was stocked with several steel crates. There was a small wooden dock near them, where a good sized motorboat was still tied. Across the large cove, they could see a huge steel gate: the obvious way out. On the far end of the area, there was a small, elevated building. There was a set of stairs with a landing at the top, where another set of stairs led up to what was likely a security office. That was where they needed to go in order to open the gate. Suddenly, as the two women moved toward the office, a new warning came over an unseen intercom:

"UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS DETECTED; RELEASING SECURITY GATES NOW"

"This can't be good," Hunnigan said, sounding nervous.

They heard the sound of sliding doors coming from behind the security office. The sound that followed was not unlike a guttural screech/ hiss hybrid. A sound that made every hair on the back of Rebecca's neck stand up.

She quickly readied her pump-action shotgun, and Hunnigan followed suit, equipping her submachine gun.

Rebecca fearfully uttered a single word, "Hunters."

* * *

><p><strong>AN****: **Holy crap! Two updates in 8 days? I must've been inspired! LOL. Anyway, another chapter completed.

Forgive me if Leon seems to have entered Mary Sue territory, but his little action hero moment was heavily inspired by the Resident Evil 6 demo, where dual pistols and baseball slide attacks, among other crazy feats are commonplace. A word of warning, a few of those other feats may happen in this story.

As I post this, I am anxiously awaiting the release of RE6 in three days. As such, there will be some mentions of characters from RE6 within my story. However, nobody will be making appearances (No Jake, Chris, Piers, Helena, Sherry etc. But, while there are no current plans to include her in this fanfic, I will not completely rule out an Ada sighting. No plans, and certainly no promises.)

Also, sorry for the very short inclusion of President Graham and Jim. I do have what I think is some good stuff slated for that particular story arch though. As always, MANY THANKS to all readers, subscribers and reviewers. BTW, is it bad that I have an epilogue already written? Even though I've still got a long way to go to that point.


	12. Escape

**Ch. 12: Escape**

Hunnigan wasn't prepared for this. She'd seen video footage of "Hunters" that had been recovered from the remains of the Rockfort Island and Arklay Mountain facilities. She'd read reports of the viciousness of these early BOWs, but she'd never seen them in person before, given the fact that she was not a field agent. But here she was, in the field for the first time, and she was face to face with at least four of them.

"HUNNIGAN!" Rebecca shouted as she tackled the less experienced agent to the ground. As they fell, the two women could feel the attacker fly over them as it barely missed them. This brought the young woman to her senses and she readied her SMG. Another creature charged toward them from behind Rebecca, who was just getting to her feet. Hunnigan, who was on her back saw it and screamed "REBECCA, LOOK OUT!"

Rebecca moved aside as Hunnigan unloaded with her gun. Rebecca then fired her shotgun at the first attacker, and both creatures fell dead. The ladies nodded "Thanks" to one another, but there were still two left. The third came from the side, and with a back-handed swing, it sent Rebecca flying at least five feet back toward the cargo passageway. Although in pain, Rebecca was grateful that the monster hadn't used its claw, which may have proven fatal. Hunnigan fired at it, and the hunter fell back, injured but alive. Rebecca's shotgun had been dropped near Hunnigan, who then picked it up and finished the creature off with a well-placed blast to the face. The next moment seemed to happen in slow motion: Rebecca had recovered and was moving toward Ingrid. The final creature started to charge, and as it got closer, she threw the shotgun back to Rebecca who took immediate aim. The hunter leaped at them, its muscular arms spread as it was preparing for a scissor-like, double-clawed, decapitation attack. Both women fired at the same exact moment, and the fatal impact sent the now limp body of the creature flying back toward the boat dock, where it slid lifelessly into the water, leaving a short trail of blood behind.

Meanwhile, Leon was having his own crisis. He was still running toward the point of separation from the women as the warning had changed slightly, and was continuing to blare annoyingly loud:

"THE FACILITY WILL SELF-DESTRUCT! ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO THE LOADING PLATFORM!"

"Will you shut the hell up already!" Leon shouted in response, knowing it was useless, but he felt better anyway. Then the warning changed:

"THE LOADING DOCKS WILL BE SEALED OFF IN SEVEN MINUTES! SECTIONAL DESTRUCT SEQUENCE COMMENCING!"

Leon sped up. He was now running as fast as his long legs could carry him, and an explosion was heard behind him. He allowed himself to quickly glance back as a steel wall slid down from the ceiling, cutting him off from the area he'd just left behind. Another explosion, followed by a violent shaking informed him that the section he had just been sealed off from was now nothing more than rubble. His section was next, and as Leon approached the next turn, another wall began to descend in front of him. It was about three feet from the floor when Leon fell into a risky slide. The gamble paid off however, as he just cleared the wall. He quickly got back to his feet and he saw the cargo lift doors ahead. He made it in and the lift descended to the lower levels. "That was way too close Kennedy," he thought to himself as he made it through the lower passage and out to the docking bay.

"Leon! You made it!"

"Sorry, Rebecca, … no time for celebration. This place is coming down."

"Right, but we have to get that gate open first." She responded, and she pointed toward the gate, and then at the elevated security office, "That's probably the place to operate the gates from."

"Understood. You and Hunnigan get to the boat. I'll go open it up."

"Got it," she replied, but there was a nervous quiver in her voice. Leon noticed it, but there wasn't time to dwell on it. He quickly made his way to the office, and found the control panel. Luckily there was no special trick, he just had to push the button that had the word 'GATE' printed on it. He looked out the window toward the gate, and saw the red light turn blue to signify that it was now opening.

Leon quickly left the office and ran back down the stairs to the platform below. Yet another explosion rocked the foundations of the place and a fireball through the delivery door told him that the passageway from the labs was now history. The delivery area would be next. He got to the boat and he saw Rebecca hesitantly get in and sit. He made his way to the steering wheel of the small vessel, where the key was luckily in the boats ignition. As soon as the gateway was opened wide enough, the three of them went through.

"Leon, look out!" Hunnigan shouted, as part of the tunnel they were now in started to crumble. Leon felt a strong sense of déjà vu. This was eerily similar to his escape from the island with Ashley a year-and-a-half ago. The good news was that he was actually in a boat, not on a jet-ski.

"Leon, there's a turn up ahead!"

"I see it Hunnigan!" he responded, as he took a hard right turn. The sudden movement made the ladies fall back, and Rebecca screamed as she was nearly thrown overboard.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked.

"Barely," Rebecca responded with a decidedly shaky voice.

He looked back, and could see that the former STARS medic looked petrified. Hunnigan apparently noticed it too, because he heard her ask Rebecca a moment later: "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rebecca sounded unsure of this, and Ingrid wasn't convinced. He wasn't either.

"Take a good look ladies, we've reached the exit."

They could see a dim light that revealed the opening of the cavern. As they made it out, Leon felt a surge in the water. He looked back, and a huge wave, undoubtedly caused by the collapse of the hidden delivery docks, hit the boat. The vessel flipped, stern over bow, sending the occupants into the water. All the sudden, everything was still, and the small boat was floating upside down, having been capsized by the sudden swell.

**A/N****:** Yay! Another chapter! This one is quite a bit shorter than the last two, and the next chapter is as well. As always thanks to all subscribers and reviewers. Next chapter has a little more plot info, so stay tuned.


	13. Tragedy Strikes

**Ch. 13: Tragedy Strikes**

Arthur continued his trek through the thick, jungle-like forest. He'd found himself fighting several of the undead, and he was running out of ammunition. At one point, he came across an abandoned military vehicle, where he managed to get some extra 9mm bullets for his gun, but that supply was getting low as well. He was hoping that Jim had been luckier. He was definitely worried. Had Jim found Jennifer? What are the odds of them being at the rendezvous point waiting for he and Ashley to arrive so they could get away from this place, wherever it was.

There were several other questions going through his mind as he continued to search for his daughter. How did Jim find him? Could he have been captured as well? After all, Jim was the one whom he and his family were supposed to meet at the private airstrip. But perhaps, just as important as those questions, was the question of who their mysterious captor was.

He took a look at his watch, and saw that he had less than a half hour to find Ashley, before she turned into a flesh-eating monster. It was a good thing then, when five minutes later, he heard his daughter's voice coming from inside a cave at the edge of the forest.

"Why would you do this? You were one of my father's best men! Dammit, he trusted you!"

"For crying out loud, do you EVER shut up?"

"What do you think will happen Dave, if I DO turn?" Ashley's rant suddenly got broken up by a coughing fit. The coughing stopped and Ashley was now crying. She was terrified. She'd been through this before. But she'd been rescued by Leon, and they'd used a special laser to destroy the plagas they had been injected with. It was a one-of-a-kind piece of machinery that had been destroyed with the island. She started sobbing harder, and this was broken up by intermittent coughing fits.

"Oh, coughing up blood? That's not a good sign, is it princess? Ha, too bad Kennedy isn't here to rescue you this time. Who knows, maybe he and Chambers are already dead. I heard they found one of our little labs. Even if they aren't dead, they will be soon."

Ashley looked horrified at the idea. "Aww, did I strike a nerve?" He continued to taunt her.

"You asked what will happen if you turn? Nothing. You see I was injected with the T-Plaga in order to test the vaccine. It acts as a poison to the parasitic plaga. The vaccine, when injected near the spine, neutralizes and kills the plagas without lasting damage to the host. Since I volunteered to be a test subject, I will be paid very well for my services. You see, when you and your mother are gone, the President will be a broken man. He'll no longer be able to run the country without remembering his failure to stop this from happening, and Los Illuminados will return to power."

"Los Illuminados?" Ashley said, "But Leon killed Saddler, so they don't exist anymore."

"Don't exist? Do you think Saddler wouldn't have had a back-up plan? While Kennedy was off trying to save the world, Osmund Saddler's highest ranking officer, Miguel Grande completed tests on the Plagas compatibility with the T-Virus. He positioned three of his test subjects in the White House as trusted agents, myself being one. The others are with your mother right now. So you see, nothing can stop this from happening."

"I wouldn't count on that Jensen!" Arthur's voice echoed through the cavern. The sound of a gunshot followed, and Agent David Jensen fell. There was a hole in his forehead where the bullet entered, and his blood poured from it on to the cave floor.

"DADDY!"

"Ashley, sweetheart, hold on, I'm getting you out of here."

Arthur found the key to his daughter's cage. It was in the pocket of Jensen's black suit jacket. After getting out of the cage, Ashley embraced her father. It was short-lived as she started to cough again. Arthur was reminded that he had the vaccine, and he injected the serum into the back of Ashley's neck. The potent formula temporarily paralyzed her, and Graham had to pick her up, and carry her from the cave.

"C'mon, Ash. We need to meet up with Jimmy and your mother"

He headed back the way he'd come, continuing to carry his daughter. After some time had passed, Ashley regained her legs. She was still weak, and could only move slowly, but she was walking on her own, stumbling occasionally. However, the vaccine had worked, and both Arthur and his daughter were grateful. After a while, they arrived at the place where Jim and Arthur had split up. They'd been waiting for about twenty minutes when Jim arrived, looking pale and weak. He was carrying Jennifer.

"Mom!" She was just waking up when Ashley went over to her.

"Jennifer!" Arthur went over as well and embraced his wife, who still seemed out of it.

He left the two of them and went over to Jim. As he reached to grab his best friend's hand, Jim collapsed.

Arthur caught his friend, and felt the wetness on Jim's back. Jim was struggling to speak when Arthur realized it was blood.

"A-Artie. Col-bert, he… I-I'm sorry…I didn't, I didn't make it." Tears began to fall from Jim's pale face, and he continued, his voice fading, "Oh…God, J-Jenny…. I'm so sorry." And he fell silent. His body went limp, and Arthur realized at once that Jim was gone.

"Oh God, Jimmy." Arthur Graham didn't have time to grieve, he heard the panicked cry of Ashley's voice behind him.

"Mom, what's wrong? Mom? MOM!"

President Graham couldn't believe his eyes. His beautiful wife's appearance began to change. Her skin became dry and grayish in color. Her eyes were now reddish. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be.

"Jenny, NO!"

The former First Lady had turned. She was moving toward Ashley, who was slowly backing away, and who was still shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"Mom, don't do this, please!" Ashley was pleading almost incoherently as tears poured down her cheeks.

The creature that had once been Jennifer Graham was poised to attack.

"NO! JENNIFER!"

A gun went off, and Jenny fell on her back, motionless. Arthur had shot her, and now he and Ashley held onto each other, crying . They were consumed by grief, and now it was just the two of them.

**A/N****:** Woah! two chapters in one day! I probably could've made it one, but I felt the impact would be better this way. Again, this is shorter than the last two I uploaded before today, but I think they're decent enough lengths. I do have one more little disclaimer to add: The name I dropped in this chapter, Miguel Grande is actually taken from the CGI film "Resident Evil: Degeneration." He is an unknown character that has not been introduced to the stories other than having his name mentioned, but nonetheless, he is not mine. As always, keep the reviews coming. Hopefully I'll have more soon.


	14. Back in Town

**Chapter 14: Back in Town**

Hunnigan and Leon both surfaced quickly and swam to the overturned boat.

"Are you OK?" Leon asked.

"Fine...and you?" Hunnigan replied.

Leon nodded, and was about to ask Rebecca the same thing, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" Hunnigan asked, and she started to call out "Rebecca!" She did this a few times but there was no response.

After several seconds, which seemed like minutes, they heard a splash followed by coughing and sputtering, and more frantic splashing. They looked around and spotted the young medic as her head, followed by her flailing arms slipped beneath the surface. The two of them swam toward her, and Leon dove first. After several seconds went by, he resurfaced empty-handed. Hunnigan dove down next, and another several seconds later, she emerged with Rebecca in tow. Rebecca was conscious, but panicked, and her flailing arms were making things difficult. Leon then helped Hunnigan get Rebecca back to the boat, and together they hoisted her up on to the bottom of the capsized vessel. Rebecca lay there for several minutes, coughing and gasping, as her body tried to expel the water she'd swallowed.

"Are you going to be alright?" Leon asked.

Rebecca nodded and signaled with a thumbs up. After another coughing spell, she finally spoke.

"I think I'll be okay now. Sorry guys. It's a little embarrassing, but, although I've learned a lot of skills in my life, swimming isn't one of them. I guess the water has always kind of freaked me out."

A dense fog had settled along the coast where the trio stepped on dry land. Leon had salvaged a lifejacket from an equipment box under the overturned boat. After Rebecca put it on, Leon decided to get two more for Hunnigan and himself. Although the two of them were strong swimmers, none of them had any idea how far they were from land, and it had been decided that it was the smart thing to do. Fortunately, they didn't have far to go. Leon and Hunnigan had helped tow Rebecca in, and now they were on a small stretch of beach, shrouded in the thick fog. They could barely see in front of them, but they managed to make their way to the road. After they reached the road, they saw a sign that read "Kenwood Falls City Limits." The three of them decided the best thing to do would be to go into town, get dry, and then take Leon's car and make their way to the safe house at Mission Central. They knew that James and the First Family should have gotten there by this time, and they could brief them on the lab they'd discovered and barely escaped from.

After walking for about thirty minutes, their luck seemed to change for the better. Rebecca had managed to see the outline of a small building on the right side of the road, there were lights on.

"Guys look, over there."

Hunnigan and Leon nodded their approval and the three of them went to check it out. It turned out to be an auto-repair shop and it seemed like someone was working late. The shop was actually closed, but the mechanic was doing some late repairs. The young man looked concerned, probably because of the trio's appearance, and hesitated to open the door but Leon showed his DSO badge.

"Sir, may we use your phone?" Leon asked.

"I guess so, Mr. Uh..."

"Kennedy. I'm Agent Leon Kennedy and these are my colleagues, Rebecca Chambers and Ingrid Hunnigan. This could be a matter of national security, and we need your cooperation."

The mechanic, who was completely taken aback by what was happening, just nodded and led them into the office.

"Shit, the phone's out."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash like the sound of breaking glass. It was coming from the entrance.

"Sir?" Hunnigan asked, "Are any of your cars ready to go?"

"Yeah, why?" he replied.

"Because we all need to get out of here, and now!"

The four of them went through the door leading into the garage. They just made it through as three zombies came shambling into the office. They could see the walking corpses through the large window that looked out into the garage from the office.

"What the hell? What did you people bring with you to my shop?"

"I'm sure you know about the incident in Raccoon City right?"

"Yeah, who doesn't?"

"Well, it's apparently happening here too. We need to get into town fast."

"Right... Over there, the Camaro!" He exclaimed.

"What's your name sir?" Rebecca asked.

"Mark Connelly."

"Mr. Connelly, uh, Mark? I'm sorry to do this to you, and I promise we'll find a way to get you a new shop."

"Why? What are you doing?"

"This..." Rebecca pulled the pin out of a grenade that she'd managed to keep after the lab escape and tossed it through the garage window. The explosion took out all three zombies, and the survivors drove out of the shop, heading into town.

The drive to town was quiet for the most part. Mark was driving, Leon was in the passenger seat, and the women were in the back. Less than an hour later, they arrived in downtown Kenwood Falls. The street lights, and the light that was coming from the nearby buildings, cast an eerie glow in the thick fog surrounding them. Everything seemed normal, but Leon wasn't convinced. Raccoon City had been quiet when he arrived there back in 1998, and everyone knows how that wound up. They had used the GPS in the car to make their way back to the Sunrise Motel. The trio got out of the car, while Mark remained in the driver's seat. They went into the office to try and get the key to Leon's room again, but nobody was at the desk. The register on the other side of the convenience store section was also abandoned. "I have a bad feeling about this," Leon said.

Just then, they heard the sound of breaking glass, and Mark's screams could be heard as they looked out the window and saw a small group of walking cadavers ripping him from the car. Leon, Rebecca, and Hunnigan automatically un-holstered their handguns as the motel manager and his wife and daughter came into view, shuffling out of the back room. The friendly family that had been so cheerful less than eighteen hours earlier was now turned. "I'm sorry," was all Leon said as he fired three shots, each one entering the forehead of a different family member. "C'mon... We need to get the Hell outta here!"

**Author's**** note:** Well, it's been a very long time faithful readers. I think my last batch of updates was back in October or November, right around the time Resident Evil 6 was released. I apologize for yet another extended absence. I hope to rectify that from now on. I've finished RE6, which, IMHO, was great. I've also been playing the console version of Resident Evil: Revelations, which is also a great game, and takes place about a year before this story, so I may try to throw in a couple references here and there. Anyway, I thank you all for being patient and sticking around for this story. I also want to thank my newer readers and reviewers as well. I've started the set-up for the next chapter, so hopefully I'll have it posted within the next week or so.


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